Us
by Midnight Mischief
Summary: Certain of the primary suspect responsible for the decrease of Chao activity, Vector sends Espio to investigate further on the matter. More suspicion arouses as he uncovers more clues leading to the Chao incident... Fragments. Espilver subtext.
1. First Impressions

**All this is really is an adaption of Sonic Rivals 2. It's not a "proper" chapter story, nonetheless, the chapters are written on various points throughout the game.**

**Be warned... this contains Espilver subtext (as already mentioned), which is very much the main focus. Nothing near the extreme, of course (otherwise it wouldn't be rated T). If that is not your cup of tea, however, then I bid you good day and ****trust you know where the back button is. As for those who still wish to read on: the chapters will be somewhat short. And of course, there will be mention of blood, foul language, violence... the package of a rated T fanfic.**

**Last, but certainly not least; if you have any constructive criticism you wish to offer, please, don't be shy.**

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Theme 1: First Impressions

Within the cloud-scattered skies was a bright and happy sun. A light ocean breeze swept throughout the crystal coast, and played with the lush green leaves of the ever so proud palm trees. Even the haughty flowers continuously bragged about their exotic petals. The large glimmering body of blue relaxed underneath the relaxing warmth of the sun, and occasionally conversing with the sand of a golden, yet lonely, beachside.

Today couldn't have been more perfect.

Upon a hilltop Espio took in all of the aspects Blue Coast had to offer. There was nothing, but peace and tranquility. For long it remained untouched.

That is, before his communicator spontaneously went off.

Rather reluctantly, he pulled his attention away from the scenery and towards the device. He slowly lifted it to his muzzle and held down the button.

Softly, he spoke through the device. "This is Espio, over."

On the other side of the line, through the static waves a muffled – although gruff – voice responded. "_Espio, do you read me_?" The voice carried an urgent tone, which strangely also had a mild hint of eagerness. "_We have a case_."

The chameleon blinked in surprise. It had been so long since their last case, and business had been unbearably slow. With the poor income and being behind a ridiculous amount of rent, it had always been a wonder how they still have a roof over their heads.

It was exciting for him as well. Most days have been spent doing absolutely nothing, it was about time that it changed.

With newfound interest in the call, the chameleon asked, "What about, Vector?"

Vector, who had contacted him, spoke once again, the graveness in his tone seemed to of had a slight increase. "_Chao have been disappearing out of the blue lately, and I think I may know the suspect_." Espio remained silent and waited for the crocodile to continue. "_A white hedgehog, who goes by the name Silver. Ever since he showed up, Chao have been gone missing. I'll bet my headphones that he has somethin' to do with it…_" It was bizarre how this Silver character seemed interested in the Chao. If he is the one behind it, why would that be? Is it a possibility that he was in acquaintance with Dr. Eggman? Is he some psychopath with his own twisted agenda?

There was only one way to find out.

"_I need you to keep an eye on him, he could be trouble. We need to catch him in the act, or at the very least find _some_ kind of evidence_."

"Roger that. I'll go undercover and see what I can find." It was simple. Within no time, he thought, he will discover everything they need to know.

_If_ everything were to go as planned, anyhow…

"Hey, chameleon!" Espio jumped, after being called on so suddenly – and quite loudly. He turned around, and before him stood a white hedgehog, just as described by Vector. The hedgehog wore navy boots with a single white stripe down the middle of each boot, the toecaps however were teal. He also wore golden cuffs, both on his wrists and atop his boots, with glowing cyan lines. A ruby red gem was inset on a gold tab on the front of his boots.

Everything about him seemed abnormal… and it wasn't just his quills that stood proudly atop his head, with two long quills hanging in the back. And also, his gloves, with odd glowing circular symbols on both the back and the palm. Although an admirable get-up, it was the most eccentric he's ever seen.

"Have you seen any Chao around here?"

On the other side of the line Espio heard Vector gasp something. However, he had already snapped out of his stupor when the hedgehog spoke again.

Only, he couldn't reply fast enough.

"Ch-Chao? Well… um…"

"You… know where they are, don't you?"

"I… uh…" Under the hedgehog's accusing stare, the chameleon found himself in a tight squeeze. He tried to answer quickly to eliminate suspicion, which resulted in his words coming out as stutters. He cursed himself for being caught off guard sooner than he ever should. "Well, I guess… Maybe I know something… Um, well, no… not really…"

In return, he was given an awkward stare. He had already failed one task. "You're strange… maybe too strange for my liking."

"How ironic… I mean – you're horribly mistaken! I –" he caught himself. "I… shouldn't have to explain myself to the likes of you. Be gone."

Silver blinked, seemingly taken aback by the chameleon's sudden change of tone. With his glare still fixated on him, Espio began to take a couple of steps back. "W-wait a minute!" Before anything else was said and done, Espio vanished, blending in with everything else around him. Immediately he used the advantage to make his escape.

"Hey! Where did you go?!" Espio hid behind a nearby pillar, still invisible. He turned his head slightly to watch the hedgehog search frantically for him. Already he began to make his leave…

…Until a wooden object suddenly crashed beside him.

'_Whoa!'_ His heart raced as jumped back behind the pillar. He stared at the remains of what – he guessed – was a wooden crate. Looking back at Silver, Espio felt himself trembling upon witnessing a sight he hasn't ever before seen. He found the hedgehog surrounded in a cyan aura with several objects floating around him in the same condition.

With a fierce expression on his muzzle he roared, "If you won't come out from hiding, I'll just find you myself!"

Another crate came flying by – grey with a star symbol on it – which bounced off of a nearby wall and tumbled to the ground in front of him. His breaths became quick and sharp, having his gaze switch between the fallen crate and the enraged hedgehog. Were he to make his escape it would have to be quick and quiet – like the breeze passing by, carrying the scent of the ocean with it.

But unlike the wind, he shall leave no trace. Like a ninja, he would be unseen and unheard.

The promise was given by his first step…

"**_Espio! What's goin' on over _****_there_?**"

Silver jumped. "What the?!"

'_Damn it…'_ It wasn't until now when the chameleon realized that he had still left his communicator on. To make matters worse, the crocodile seemed to have felt the need to shout – which only accomplished in blowing his cover and startling all of the nearby seagulls – in spite of him already being loud enough with just his regular tone.

Left without any other options, he began to run.

However, something hard abruptly slammed against his back, which sent him flying into a nearby wall. He landed on the pavement facing upward, his vision already blurred in spite of help from the sun. His communicator landed beside him, also facing upward. Although it hadn't broken to pieces right there and then, surprisingly, he was uncertain whether or not it really was broken.

"**_E-ESPIO!_**" He could hear Vector scream loud and clear from the background. At the very least, and quite thankfully, it wasn't broken after all. As for himself, he wasn't so sure…

Espio got on all fours as he struggled to stand, let alone _see_ properly. He picked his head up to see the white hedgehog walking towards him. Silver was leaning over him, looking down at him with his narrowed eyes - golden orbs that burned with a passion of flames within.

His tone, however, was neutral. "We need to talk."

Espio recoiled. "G-get away from me!" he winced from his injury as he attempted to crawl away quickly.

"Hey! Wait a second!" He chased him as the chameleon tried to get away. Unfortunately, Silver already caught up to him with little to no effort.

Desperate and frustrated, Espio turned around and sent a kick upwards, striking the hedgehog in the stomach. Silver was sent flying back before he landed on the pavement, being blinded by the sun. This time Espio wasted no time in blending once more with his surroundings. He grabbed his communicator and shut it off before running away from his attacker.

Wincing and clutching onto his stomach with one hand, Silver had his other outstretched in front of him as he called out in a weak tone, "C-come back…" He searched frantically for any signs of the chameleon. When he couldn't find anything, he slammed his fist onto the ground, growling in mild frustration.


	2. Beautiful Things

**This has been completed since Friday. I have the next chapter already in the works, which may - or may not - be uploaded with the next chapter of "Starting Over".**

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Theme 2: Beautiful Things

He sat against one of the trees, fixated on the tangerine backdrop of the sporadic and faded clouds. The sun was preparing to fall into its temporary slumber as the moon prepared to take its place. Reddish-brown leaves rustled within the cool evening breeze, one falling from the tree onto the ground beside him.

Espio sighed. The events from earlier that day were proved to be all too close for comfort. By his own fault his cover was almost blown. Were he had not been quick enough to escape, he may have been killed. That hedgehog was something else… and he wasn't at all careful.

He stared at his right hand, and tightened it into a fist. '_I will not make the same mistake twice._' With that, something else came to mind. He picked up his communicator and held the button as he spoke into the device.

"This is Espio…"

"**_Oh, thank god!_**" He was cut off by a relieved Vector. "_I wasn't sure if you were okay or not. I swear to god, I was about to go over there myself… What happened anyway?_"

The chameleon took a deep breath, taking in the fairly crisp air. "He attacked me. However, I managed to give him the slip."

"_Do you need any backup?_"

"I'm fine. But are you absolutely sure on this, Vector?"

"_You heard 'im yourself! Why else would he ask you about Chao? Unless he's another spy himself, which I highly doubt, he's definitely the guy we're looking for!_"

"But we still don't have enough evidence…" His sentence faded once he heard faint sounds of crunching footsteps on fallen leaves. Peeking his head from behind the tree he spotted Silver, this time unarmed.

The hedgehog walked in a composed pace. However, he searched behind each tree he passed, within each bush that caught his eye. He wore a weary and annoyed expression, as if on the verge of admitting defeat – or performing something completely impetuous. Espio covered his mouth, and turned his attention back to the communicator.

"Vector, I have to go." he said in a low and urgent tone. "The suspect is nearby, and he appears to be searching for something…"

"_Alright. Watch him closely, and report back anything you see that's suspicious… And **be careful** this time!_"

Espio faintly flush, his cheeks almost resembling the twilight. "Roger." He quickly hung up as he watched Silver approaching the tree he hid behind. Standing up, he pressed against the tree while disappearing within the background.

The hedgehog stopped right in front of his tree and gaze around the forest area once more. With an exasperated sigh, he propped against the tree and covered his face with his hand. The chameleon warily leaned sideways to see around the tree.

'_Is he… giving up?_'

Silver was staring at the sky, as if he was in some sort of trance. It was a bit of a mystery as to why he would suddenly be so interested in the sky. Or… maybe it wasn't, as it is always fascinating to watch the sky change into beautiful colors. Perhaps, Espio thought, Silver is one who simply finds delight in scrutinizing the beauty of nature.

He also noticed how the radiance of the sunset made the hedgehog's fur stand out – akin to an angelic glow. Staring out into the sunset he sighed, in which Silver had done at the exact same time. Another leaf tumbled off the tree from the swift breeze directly into Silver's standing quills. He pulled it out and studied it for a brief moment, before finally releasing it into the wind.

For a moment they both remained still, wrapped within a state of tranquil.

With another sigh, Silver pushed away from the tree. He spoke softly, a faint hint of bitterness traced within his tone. "Okay, I give up. I have no idea where you could of slithered off to, chameleon, but it doesn't matter. It's not like I need your help anyway…" Solemnly he marched away, without even glancing at the trail behind him.

Espio got off the tree, and turned to watch the hedgehog leave. He released his own sigh – a sigh that lifted a great weight from him as he exhaled, and his shoulders now light with relief.

'_That was a close one…_'

That is... until he saw Silver stop dead in his tracks. Quickly, he pressed his body against the tree once more. '_Now what is he doing?_'

For some reason he was crouched down, as if approaching the height of something small. Unable to tell from his current position, Espio moved to a different tree that was closer to the hedgehog. This time he was able to see what the hedgehog was looking at. It was definitely small, and a pale blue…

'_A… a Chao?_' He held his breath as he watched carefully. Whatever happens next should prove whether or not he's actually innocent.

Silver… He was smiling, and it was a kind smile. He held one of his hands in front of him… which lacked in dead objects – or any sort of item. In fact, he was simply _greeting_ the Chao. When he spoke, the tone of his voice was warm and friendly.

"Hey there, little fella. Where did you come from? Are you lost?"

The Chao slowly approached his hand, grabbing it with its small arms. It looked up at him – rather cutely – with its large eyes. He smiled. "You're safe with me, li'l guy. I promise." It smiled, ever so slightly, and Silver pulled it into a tight embrace. "There, there…" Espio, at an utter lost for words, made a soft gasp as he stared at the sight.

But the scene, however, also managed to bring a small smile to his muzzle. He was now beginning to feel more at ease.

'_At least I now know he isn't hurting the Chao… Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all._' Once again he stared at the sunset, the sky was starting to change into a rosy hue. '_But surely…_' his gaze switched back to the now standing hedgehog. '_he must have _some_ relation to the Chao fiasco._' Although, something else had caught his attention once his eyes traveled somewhere else.

To be particular on what it was that caught his attention; a spiky blue hedgehog and a yellow twin-tailed fox. As it appeared, they stumbled on something rather interesting, in which the fox concluded to be a possession of Eggman's. A page that was torn from a certain book. The fox read the words aloud: _The all-powerful Ifrit…_

"I wonder if this has something to do with the Chao…"

The chameleon's eyes widened. '_I wonder if they have any idea on what they've just uncovered. I should report this…_'

After the duo sped off, Espio picked up the communicator, and turned it on just as he returned to watching the hedgehog in question... whom was no longer at the spot where he saw him last. In mild annoyance he rubbed his forehead and groaned.

"_This is Vector, talk to me._"

As he was about to answer, he spotted Silver running in the same direction that the pair had went. He stared after him for a moment longer, completely put on paused.

"Vector, I'll call you back."


	3. Second Chances

**This one came out longer than I expected... Oh how I love surprises.**

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Theme 3: Second Chances

Beneath the starry skies was a city of bright flashing and moving lights. The red roads had the unique pattern of dice, throughout the city were tall buildings and large colorful casino-type signs and slot machines. The extravagant and obnoxious lights of the area drowned out the moon and her companions.

Only in a different part of town was she able to bestow her beautiful melody peacefully.

At the less flashy zone of the city, Silver – with his patience as thin as a piece of paper at this point – leaned against one of the metallic poles. His irritation was expressed with a huff, before he spoke out loud in a severe manner. "You know… I'm getting _really_ tired of playing games with you, chameleon. You're good at hiding, but I'm done seeking. You've wasted enough of my time…"

"Now wait a minute…" Espio reappeared in front of the hedgehog, who jumped at his sudden appearance. He glared as he spoke in an equally nasty tone. "I wouldn't even _be_ here if it wasn't for you. So stop wasting _my_ time and start giving me answers."

Frozen in place by the sudden confrontation, Silver blinked, making his best attempts to quickly recover. However it seemed vain as the statement also had him muddled. "W-what are you even talking about?"

The chameleon pointed an accusing finger at him. "Admit it. You're the one responsible for the disappearing Chao."

Nonchalantly he nodded, and said, "Yes, you're correct."

"Then start talking."

With a sigh, the hedgehog closed his eyes. His tone had soften when he spoke. "Our worlds… I'm doing this to save them."

"But that doesn't make any sense…" the chameleon sighed in mild exasperation. "Care to clarify some more?"

Silver reopened his eyes and looked directly into the chameleon's, his expression and tone became especially grave. "In order to save your world, we have to hide the Chao in a safe place. If the Chao are safe, everyone else will be too. But if we _don't_ complete this task, then your world will be destroyed… and so will mine."

Espio blinked; both disconcerted and incredulous at the same time. "Y-you really want me to believe that?"

"Yes." was the frank response of the silver hedgehog. "If you want to save your world, we must save the Chao first."

"It just seems so far-fetched…" However, the chameleon's skepticism diminished once he remembered what he saw back in Sunset Forest. _He _isn't_ hurting the Chao. He's _not_ a bad guy._

…_Unless he was holding a façade…_

Looking into the hedgehog's golden eyes he couldn't detect anything… but pureness. Could it just be the color of his eyes, or is he seeing nothing but the absolute truth within them? They looked so determined, yet pleading at the same time. It was a look that is difficult to consider as deceptive… _if_ he is to be a very good actor.

_Impossible…_

But then again, why did he no longer feel any discomfort? The answer he was given did nothing but create more questions. Yet, it was almost as if it no longer mattered. Everything that he witnessed with his own eyes so far… he is fighting, for _something_.

_S-Silver…_

_Standing before him was the atypical hedgehog. Unexpectedly he already found him, his alarmed expression made it evident. With the previous events replaying in his mind he slowly began backing away, keeping a kunai hidden behind his back. The hedgehog's eyebrow raised slightly, though made no movements with his body. He kept a safe distance between them and watched him, while his adversary – or at the very least the hedgehog in question – watched him with his own pair of golden yet curious eyes._

_Only in a moment's time had it stayed like that._

_The hedgehog… Silver… finally made his first step towards him, small and steady, nonetheless. Espio tensed, tightening the grip on his weapon behind him. After his first step, however, he only made one more, then stopped._

"_Apparently, you know who I am…" he stated mildly. "Yet, I've never seen you around here before. Who… who are you?"_

_His posture remained. "A mere citizen, I say not." It wasn't saying much, if anything at all. "That's all you need to know."_

"_I guess so," Silver shrugged, taking another step forward. "Since you've given me the impression of being a local weirdo."_

_Espio flinched, taking one step back. "E-excuse me? I don't know who you think you are, but I wasn't the one chasing you and attacking you with crates floating around me. If anything, you're the abnormal one."_

"_That's funny, coming from a stalker."_

"_Don't be ridiculous… You found me first."_

"_And yet, here you are again. Unless your timing is simply uncanny, which is difficult to justify…"_

"_What's even more amazing is the fact that you fail to see the irony coming from all of this."_

"_Oh how I love entertaining guests! You've got me so hooked, I'm starting to wonder what will happen next." A strangely familiar voice ended their sentence with a howl of laughter._

_Within a round metal pod was an egg-shaped man, who strangely looked all too familiar._

_Of course, there wasn't a need to guess._

_Eggman…_

"_Eggman Nega."_

_Espio looked back at the silver hedgehog. He blinked. "Eggman… Nega?"_

Whatever it is he is fighting for, _must_ have something to do with that man…

_Eggman Nega hooted, and began clapping slowly – no doubt in a mocking manner. "Very shrewd, Silver. Obviously nothing gets by you… You deserve a reward." With a mischievous cackle, he pushed a button on his machine…_

"_And_…?"

Espio was pulled out of his trance, which seemed to have took place while staring in the eyes of the hedgehog in front of him. His lips parted to speak, but no words were released. Instead the previous events replayed in his mind once more, from their first encounter to this very point.

It was a moment of awakening. And now… it was clear what must be done.

His lips closed and his expression hardened.

Slowly he withdrew his kunai, and made sure Silver saw it this time.

Tensing, Silver watched the gloved hand that held the sharp weapon, its cold steel glistening under the moonlight.

"W-what are you doing?"

Espio began to take slow and steady steps towards him. The hedgehog winced, and began to take steps backwards, more hastily than the chameleon. The weapon was pointed downward, Espio's glare was a separate dagger, and Silver was beginning to feel uneasy.

"Stop…"

The chameleon did nothing of the sort.

"It doesn't have to be this way!" the hedgehog pled. "We… we can save this world. _Together_. Everyone's lives are at stake, there will hardly _be_ a future if we do not act together to stop this. _Please_!"

He was drawing near…

"I'm trying to _save_ lives… I want nothing more than the people to be safe from harm. I want our worlds to live on happily. Please… if you were the least bit concerned, you would want to do something too."

The kunai was raising higher…

"If it concerns you not, then I know the kind of person you are…"

His footsteps finally came to a halt. With a blank look he stared at him, his dark mien remained unchanged. "You don't know the kind of person I am."

"You're a monster." Silver snarled, his fangs showing. "And I will have no problem sending you to the depths of hell with Eggman Nega."

"Unless, I were the one to send you there first." He got into a stance.

"I won't let _anyone_ get in the way of me saving the world!" Silver screamed. A cyan light surrounded him once more, the patterns on his his gloves and his cuffs began to glow as he levitated off the ground.

For the next few minutes it remained the same, both adversities waiting for the other to make the first move.

Espio was the first to act.

He stepped forward and raised his weapon high, as if he was ready to hurl it at his opponent. The hedgehog held his hand in front of him as he waited for the weapon to fly towards his direction…

…until it was merely tossed aside.

Silver stared at the weapon on the ground with a confused look. He looked up at Espio, who stared back at him. His gaze softened as he looked dead into his eyes.

"I trust you."

Silver blinked, taking the next turn of being thunderstruck. "What?"

"You already have my trust." Espio repeated. "I've watched you, Silver… you're not a bad guy. And what you've just showed me demonstrates the kind of person _you_ are." he smiled. "I can't find a reason not to trust you."

Silver, still stunned by the sudden change, slowly descended towards the ground once more with the glowing aura disappearing from around him. He stared at Espio, as if unsure what to say next.

"You… are so strange." he finally said. "But that's beside the point… If you're truly keen on helping me, then promise me you'll stop getting in my way. In that sense you've done more than enough…"

"You have my word." the chameleon placed his hand to his chest. "I'm all yours."

"Good." Silver said with a half-smile. "But I still need to know the name of my ex-stalker."

Espio's smile vanished, being reminded of their first encounter. "Why don't we have a fresh start instead?"

Silver slightly tilted his head to the side, seemingly puzzled by the chameleon's words. Once he opened his mouth to speak again, the hedgehog smiled and extended his hand towards him.

"Hi, I'm Silver."

"That's…" he paused as he stared at the hedgehog's hand. It was not just a hand waiting to be grasped. It was an acceptance for a new ally… waiting to be grasped.

With a smile, Espio took it without a second thought.

"Hello Silver, my name is Espio."


	4. For You

Theme 4: For You

Beneath the rosy evening sky was an air of tension between two teams…

From across the rocky terrain they stared at one another, a railroad seeming to divide each side – stretching as far as the eye can see. Their postures, their expressions… to anyone who happened to be a passerby would be able to tell: something was about to go down.

As the western wind blew and tumbleweed rolled across the landscape, Sonic smirked, his hands resting upon his hips. It couldn't be because he was happy, none of them were at the moment. Something must of came off as amusing – that only god knows what – and Espio was certain of a smart-alecky remark, knowing the blue blur all too well. The hedgehog took a step closer to the train tracks with the same look plastered on his face.

Ever so casually he spoke, "You stole from us… Care to explain why?"

The chameleon's mien did not mirror Sonic's, however. It remained serious as he firmly stated, "The reasons for our actions are of no concern of yours, Sonic."

"You stole from us." Sonic repeated, his tone the same as before. "I think it very much concerns us."

"Well, think nothing of it."

"Heh… that's really all you have to say?" For a moment, Sonic looked down at the ground beneath him, his arms folded over his chest. "I'm not someone who's easily pissed off – which you already know, Espio. But lately, the two of you have been really pushing my buttons…"

"Oh? I'm sorry… I haven't noticed." Espio flashed a smirk at the blue hedgehog.

Of course, it hadn't took him long to come up with a witticism, seeing as the hedgehog's smile hadn't faltered one tiny bit. "I didn't think so, seeing as you were a little too busy running around with your boyfriend." A cocky grin was made on the hedgehog's muzzle, as if claiming his victory early.

But that remark wasn't enough…

"So tell me, Espio: what's it like having a boyfriend?" The same grin was shot in Silver's direction, which silently dared him – or Espio – to react in one way or another. "But then again; heels, long hair, girlish demeanor… Maybe the right word I'm looking for is _girlfriend_…"

Tails, on the other hand, didn't appear to approve the gesture. "Sonic… stop." Sonic only stood there, watching the two of them with the same mocking smile on his muzzle. Espio's own smirk had been long-gone, however he made no movements towards the other pair.

Although Silver didn't take kindly to the snarky comments. He shook violently with anger, while holding up a tightly clenched fist. "Why you…" Espio had to hold the hedgehog back from sprinting towards the other side of the railroad.

Sonic still didn't stop, however. "Why you thieves couldn't have collected your own rings is beyond me. You, Tails?" he looked back at the fox behind him, who shifted his gaze to the ground with his hands behind his back. He must have agreed with the statement, the chameleon thought. The hedgehog returned his gaze to him. "Did you not see the amount of rings lying around?"

"I did… before you took them all."

"Not much of an excuse…" Tails murmured. "Especially since we _didn't_ take all of them."

"Point is… what's done is done." Espio said, hoping it would end the argument.

But…

"No… Point is; you're both dirt bags." Sonic snarled. "You jumped us for Rings that _you_ could of collected _yourself_. But it's not even just that… I would of willingly _gave_ you some Rings if you were truly that desperate, and all you would of had to do was _ask_! But instead… you attacked us and ran, like bastards. And to top it all off: you just insist on blowing it off like it's nothing."

"Sonic…" Espio's scales had a reddish hue blended within. His throat felt tight; already offended from afore, but repentant from the words thrown at him.

Sonic huffed, turning away from the pair and gazing up at the sky. "At this rate, you're no better than Eggman…"

Silver, squirming to break free of Espio's grasp, desperately tried to march his way to where the blue one stood. "Don't you dare compare us to him… We are _nothing_ like neither of those vile crooks."

" '_Neither_'…?" Tails inquired, looking over at Sonic with a raised eyebrow.

"Thing is, neither of you know the _real_ reason why we needed those Rings so badly."

"Then tell us _why_ you stole our Rings… and I mean your 'real reasoning'." Sonic said, crossing his arms once more. Tails remained silent, mirroring the blue hedgehog's posture. Silver had stopped struggling and looked back at Espio, who dropped his gaze to the ground.

After another silent moment, the silver hedgehog finally spoke. "It's not like you can get them back anyway."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means they're gone." Espio snapped.

"Gone _where_?" Sonic returned.

"Forget it, Sonic…" Tails sighed. "We can always go collect more Rings."

"Y'know what, you're right Tails." his emerald eyes never left the chameleon's golden eyes, however. "We can _always_ go and collect more Rings… So why not use _this time_ to teach a couple of thieves that stealing is wrong?"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Then battle _me_. It was my idea in the first place." Espio stated firmly to Sonic. "Leave Silver out of this."

"It's my fight too!" Silver barked. He grabbed a firm hold of the chameleon's wrist. "If anything; I'm more involved than you are, Espio."

"Stop it!" Tails shouted. "This is senseless!"

"I find it appropriate." Espio stated, his gaze never once broke from Sonic's.

"That's something I can actually agree on with you." Sonic said wryly.

Their tiff had fell short when small tremors began traveling throughout the field. Silently, all eyes began to search frantically for its origin. Each shake became more vicious than the next as it was beginning to have sound. However, it sounded nothing like an earthquake…

But instead; giant footprints.

It became louder as it approached from behind the boulders. The four of them suddenly found themselves within a shade, which could not have been the cause of clouds or any sort of trees.

Nonetheless, each pair of eyes looked up.

Towering over them was an enormous automaton with an appearance of a bull. It's metal being red; it's snout, head, neck, and the top and bottom of its legs, silver; most of its body, and small outlines of yellow. At the top of its head was a rectangular window, revealing a mischievous and grinning man watching them from within.

The window elevated all the way up, his expression remaining the same. He chuckled. "By the looks of things; there's a party going on. How come I wasn't invited, hmm?"

"This isn't a joke!" Silver shouted, pointing up at the scientist. "We have unfinished business!"

"Guess that goes for all of us." Sonic said, looking up at Eggman Nega then at Silver. "Round two?"

Espio and Silver exchanged assertive glances. "Let's go."

"Perfect. Allow me the honor of starting us off." Eggman Nega lowered the window completely before hitting the controls on the machine. The mechanical bull slightly crouched and rubbed one of its hind "hooves" against the dirt.

…

_From the time they left Neon Palace to where they are this very moment they had been walking. Neither had slept, or took any sort of rest._

_Since before sunrise, and during noontime, they spoke with the other casually. They got to know each other a little more, and the chameleon got to learn more on the situation at hand. According to the silvery hedgehog himself: Eggman Nega plans to unleash the Ifrit upon the current world to destroy it. And it so happens that he was also looking for Chao as well as Chaos emeralds._

_The purpose for the Chao, however, is so the Ifrit could consume them to become invincible._

_It became self-explanatory as to why Silver was collecting Chao in the first place._

_A little further into the dry canyon was when the hedgehog began to slow down, huffing and puffing. Espio, already ahead, noticed he no longer heard a second pair of feet following him and stopped. He turned around to find Silver bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard._

_The chameleon walked back over to him. "Are you okay?"_

_It took a minute for the hedgehog to answer. "I… just need… a minute…" Slowly he pulled himself into a fully standing position…_

…_Only to lean all the way forward…_

"_S-Silver!" Espio caught him before he hit the ground with him. The hedgehog was atop of him in his arms, pale and seemingly drained in the face. "You don't look so good…"_

"_My powers… are almost exhausted…" he panted, shaking as he was on all fours. "I'll need Rings to power myself back up…"_

"_Then collect Rings we shall… and with haste." Silver looked up at him, lips partly opened as if somewhat in-shock. The chameleon looked down at him with a soft and reassuring smile._

_After another stolen moment, muffled voices were heard from nearby. They both exchanged curious glances before crawling over towards a boulder. As it appeared; Rouge, Sonic, and Tails were together. The bat seemed to have asked for help with something, in which the blue blur agreed to without hesitation._

"_Alright Tails, let's go round up some Rings."_

"_Thanks, boys. I'm counting on you." Rouge said, before flying off in one direction, as the other duo sped off in the other._

_Espio turned around and sat against the rock, now facing Silver. He grinned. "By the looks of things, we may have our work cut out for us."_

_Silver cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"_

"_Well… Sonic and Tails are also collecting Rings, right?" Silver nodded. "We can cut them off, then take the Rings from the afterward."_

"_And how do we go about doing that?"_

"_Simple, we'll follow them." Espio pulled the hedgehog up with him, putting his arm over his shoulders to prop Silver against him. "We'll wait for the right moment to snag the Rings from them."_

"_But they're fast, especially Sonic. We won't be able to catch up to them like this." the hedgehog said while jerking his arm._

"_Are you able to walk, then?"_

_He nodded. "I'll be fine." he pulled away from the chameleon, although wobbling in the process. Espio gave him a concerned look, he smiled nonetheless. "Don't worry, I'll manage. Besides, we're still in a race against time."_

_Espio nodded. "Very well, then. They're likely to have split up to collect as many Rings as possible. I'll trail after Sonic."_

"_Okay."_

"…_Be careful."_

"_You too…"_

_He flashed the hedgehog another smile, before talking off to chase after the blue blur._

"_We will have those Rings…_ one way or another_…"_


	5. Midnight Misadventure

**I had been keeping an eye on the views for this story, and I have seen quite an increase for the past couple of days. Just how many of you were able to sniff out a new chapter on the horizon?**

**This one turned out to be of a regular - perhaps on the long side - chapter length. Completely unintentional. ****I uploaded two things tonight, so you shouldn't be too angry with me - as I've worked my little butt off. Hopefully this makes up for the long hiatus.**

* * *

Theme 5: Midnight Misadventure

A pair of amber eyes opened after a sudden – yet brief – torpor, something that had occurred without even the slightest clue as to how or why. Groggily they wandered around the room, which somehow seemed off than before.

Perhaps his eyes have yet to adjust, but the room was quite dark, only illuminated by the dim flames on the walls and chandelier. He goes to move from his sitting position, only to be restrained from doing so. Again he tried, wriggling his body and limbs as much as he could, only to find the same results. There was something sturdy around him that tightly held him in place. Someone else was in here – he already knew – and was beginning to suspect if this was done on purpose to knock the competition…

Soft moaning was heard from behind, as he felt something stir against his back. As if their '_competition_' could sink no lower as to tie someone else in the room with him. The suspect he had in mind seemed low enough to betray their own partner, and here he laid – tied up beside him.

Quietly, although hesitantly, he called out to whom he thought was behind him.

"Knuckles..?"

At first he wasn't given a response, which worried him further. He heard another moan, tensing as he was about to call his name again…

"…Espio..?"

It was his own comrade, he concluded, a wave of relief washing over him. However, his previous speculation was shot, and raised more questions. Perhaps the duo in question are innocent in this case, and that there are others inside the mansion. What is it that everyone's after – are they all after the same thing? It doesn't sound likely that everyone else is also looking for the secret chamber. At least, not for the same reason.

But who was it that captured them? And why? Most importantly: how close are they to the hidden lair at this point? If they're tied up, it's plausible that they're close to discovering the room. Whoever trapped them either knew something – so much as the whereabouts of the room – and only had to drag them out of the way… or this was a mere and rather rash plot made by someone who sought revenge against them.

…Or it may have something to do with both.

His companion behind him fully sat up – practically pressing against his back – fussing and writhing as he struggled to move. Espio continued examining the room, noticing something interesting that caught his eye. To his left was a wall of thick three-inch spikes, as well as to his right. With his eyes he searched for a door, high and low, some way to get out of the room.

The struggling from his partner behind him came to an end, who spoke with agitation clear in his tone. "What is this? Where are we?"

Still searching for an exit from the room, the chameleon answered "…I don't know."

* * *

_Nightfall seemed to have took ages to arrive. The pair took the time to rest, settling within a new environment that currently surrounded them._

_It was, yet, another forest. Dark, eerie, and detached from any other life forms. The trees played a mournful tune each time they danced in the wind. There was no other sound, no other species, no warmth, no path, no signs… Their only other companion, and savior from eternal darkness, was the ever beautiful moon herself – unaccompanied in the sky._

_As of late, the tension between teams was already beginning to show. Their previous battle was a rough one, their opponents hadn't held back any punches. One whom neither could keep up with, another whom had a few surprises of his own, together their teamwork was fluent – which that alone made the chameleon and his companion have to constantly stay on their toes. The mech, of course, didn't make anything easier._

_To make matters worse; Eggman Nega, slimy and crooked as ever, gave them the slip as he vaguely hinted towards a haunted mansion – hidden somewhere deep in the woods – with a hidden chamber filled with his own Chao he collected to feed to the Ifrit. All of their time and effort to foil his plans was in vain – so he said._

_Thus, their reason for being here in the first place._

_Espio continued to care for Silver's wounds, in which the moonlight gave a silvery crimson hue. In a gentle hold, he had the hedgehog's nose within a rag, in which he ordered Silver to keep his head down momentarily. Their injuries were minor, which he only had to clean. Once he was finished, he proceeded to clean the rag within the small stream nearby._

_As he did so, Silver warily examined their new surroundings from a log he sat on. His eyes glanced from tree to tree as he wondered aloud, "Are you sure about this, Espio?"_

"_A Chao can be found anywhere." the chameleon bluntly stated while twisting the water out of his rag. "If we're lucky, a few may have gotten loose while Nega wasn't looking."_

"_Really? I haven't seen a thing since we've came over here. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?"_

_With a tired sigh, Espio sat beside the hedgehog, his hands folded between his knees. It was only a moment later before he finally answered him. "And here I thought you were already unfazed by oddity." _

_For a moment Silver froze, slightly caught off guard by the comment. He turned his head towards Espio, a wry smile crossing his muzzle. "We each have different ideas of oddity, stalker."_

_A dry chuckle escaped from the chameleon, his gaze transfixed on the stream nearby. "For some reason you seem to believe I did it for pleasure."_

"_Are you sure you weren't enticed in any way?"_

"_Do you truly find yourself enticing?"_

"_I asked you first."_

_Espio snorted a laugh, his gaze darting away from the hedgehog a brief moment. "I can't answer that."_

"_Because it's true and you do?"_

"_Because you're flirting with me, and it's starting to make me feel uncomfortable." The pair stared at the other's eyes, two pairs of golden orbs glistening beneath the moonlight._

_However, the moment was lost when Silver tore away, possibly to roll his eyes. When he returned his gaze, his smile had nearly waned completely – in which the chameleon's absently faltered itself. Another moment was spent in uneasy silence as the pair remained in their positions. What was it that was eating him most; Espio couldn't tell exactly what was going on. As of now, he wasn't sure on whether or not to take his companion seriously._

_Hell, he was uncertain if he meant what he said himself._

_Once again the hedgehog restored an air of life between them, once again looking away, his gaze fixed towards something ahead of him – as if whatever was through the dense forest had suddenly caught his eye. The chameleon couldn't read what laid hidden beneath his impassive countenance, as if he wasn't already on edge. Perhaps, the detective thought, he hadn't thought this one through at all, and ridiculed himself for not fully taking caution with a peculiar hedgehog whose claimed to hail from a later time period._

_An already odd mission almost instantly becomes ludicrous. Just like old times…_

_With his hands folded in front of him, Silver finally spoke, a hint of wariness in his tone. "No, of course not… You know I don't have time for that."_

"_Of course. How foolish of me…" For a moment he paused, dropping his sarcasm to attend to one of his suddenly disturbed senses. Almost instantly his body became tensed, as he cautiously scanned the area around them. His partner seemed to have took notice, as he watched him with a concerned expression._

_The detective was nearly certain as he murmured "Something's nearby…"_

_Whether he hadn't heard him, or just confused, the hedgehog felt the need to lean slightly towards the chameleon. "What?"_

_Espio stood up, and began to carefully tread towards the group of trees they were already facing. Also getting up from the log, Silver began to chase after him, following the chameleon further into the woods._

"_Wait! Where are you-" before his sentence was finished, Espio camouflaged with their surroundings, disappearing into the night. A sigh had escaped from Silver, shaking his head in an exasperated manner. "I thought we already talked about this…"_

_When he hadn't received a response, he began to wonder if he had already lost him. "…Espio?"_

"_Over here!" he heard the chameleon hiss. "And keep quiet before they see you." _

_He was quickly joined by Silver, who hid behind a nearby tree. "Who are we hiding from?" His question was answered as soon as Knuckles and Rouge came into view. The pair walked silently, one behind the other down the dirt path. A mutual agreement was shared between the two before they trailed the duo down the road._

_Soon they stood before a rusted and open gate. The shadow of a tall building loomed over the large yard, for the moon – much more apparent than before – had stayed by their side. Both gazed upon the possessor of the shadow; a soft wind rushed by them with the acoustic of a moan, leaving behind only a slight chill._

_After all this time, they finally found what they were looking for: a haunted mansion deep within the woods._

* * *

Looking up from where he sat tied up, Espio noticed a slight change with the walls. They appeared closer than where they were before. Come to think of it – from what he couldn't help but notice – they still seemed to be coming closer together, slowly but surely. He though he lost his mind for a moment – or so he hope would be the case. Were the walls really moving?

Silver glared ahead at the wall. "So what do we do now?"

"Hell if I know…" murmured the chameleon, a frown on his muzzle as he looked around the room. He spotted a pebble by his foot, which gave him a small idea. He kicked it across the room, he watched as it rolled towards the wall he faced. Amber eyes stayed on the stone, and widened as he watched the stone slide forward towards his direction. The walls _are_ moving…

…but they are still stick there…

His body literally shook, coming to the unfortunate conclusion that his eyes do not deceive him. The walls were closing in on them, and they can do nothing but watch the horror unfold before them. As if the mere thought of walls closing in on them weren't bad enough, he now witnesses it actually happening. And of course, there wasn't a way to get out of the room. It was almost as if he was living a nightmare.

Desperately he wished he could wake himself up.

The hedgehog must of took notice, as he addressed him with concern in his tone. "Espio?"

As if he meekly came out of a dazed state, Espio blinked , his mouth slightly gapped. His words weakly – almost inaudibly – passed through his lips. "They're moving… The walls…"

"_What_?" Silver began to kick and squirm, almost in a frantic manner, searching the room for something they could put to use. "There has to be something we can do to get out of this! Got any ideas?"

The chameleon stared blankly at the wall, as if nothing was ever said to him.

"_Come on_ Espio! Pull yourself together!" the hedgehog snapped. "If we don't do anything, we'll never stop Eggman Nega from releasing the Ifrit. Is that what you want?"

"Silver, I'm _petrified_! I _don't know_!" the chameleon barked.

There was a long period of silence, before he head his companion speak once again. "Wait… So you're…" Another silent moment longer, Silver took a deep breath, relaxing his body. "Espio, please… You need to overcome your fear, now more than ever. For both of our sakes. If not that, then at least do it for your world, for your loved ones. I cannot do this alone. Please, Espio…"

His next words froze him to his very core, causing his eyes to nearly pop out of their sockets. "…I need you."

* * *

_He had just reached the courtyard, coming from a hall of the mansion. Carefully he treaded along the mossy cobblestone path where it lead him to a dead and corroded fountain, containing nothing but a brownish-green liquid nearly filled to the brim. The chameleon cringed in disgust and started to remove himself from the fountain._

_That is, had he not caught sight of the water moving… assuming that sludge was once water, anyhow._

_Espio withdrew a kunai and placed it into the water, prudently stirring it around and scraping against the sides and bottom. Once he pulled it out, he found a large wad of muck on the blade, which he quickly he wiped off on the fountain's edge. But there was something odd about that wad of muck… it felt solid. At first he poked it with the blade to see what could be inside – coming to the conclusion that it was something small and thick. He scraped away what he could from the mystery object, and came to find a peculiar item…_

_A coin._

_It was a hexagonal shaped coin, golden, but tarnished. On the coin was a Mobian – a hedgehog he assumed – with something strange on his face, a bizarre looking mask that he couldn't quite make out. On the back there was a strange symbol in Japanese, from what he could decipher, it appeared to be a name of some sort… Without a second though, he tossed the coin onto the dead grass. He tried again, taking the blade back into the water…_

…_and felt something cling to his wrist._

_He was yanked roughly towards the fountain. Something that is inside is trying to pull him in with it. What kind of monstrosity lived within the fountain? Espio struggled with it, he placed his foot against the wall to use as much force as possible to pull away. Something else clasped around his arm as it – whatever _it_ is that's trying to get him – tired with all of its might to pull him in. He felt his foot that was still on the ground sliding more and more towards the fountain. The beast that was inside was perceptibly stronger than he was, and something needed to be done about it._

_The ninja detective hastily reached for a shuriken and sliced it into whatever had his wrist. _

_Almost immediately something covered in black and green sludge shot up to the surface, yelling as he nursed where it was slashed. Espio fell to the ground screaming in horror, wasting no time in throwing the shuriken at the monster. It cleaved its cheek, the monster howled before it dropped back into the water. Panting and clutching his chest, the chameleon slowly brought himself to his feet, keeping his eyes glued to the fountain eve as he approached it a second time. He readied his weapon, carefully leaning over the water…_

"_SHAA!"_

_It jumped at him, and they rolled across the yard within impact. The beast, atop of him, raised its fists. Espio, having his weapon fly out of his hand – and a defense mechanism being triggered from a surprise attack – crossed his arms X-styled in attempt to block the oncoming blow._

_However, nothing ever came. Except for a voice that sounded very surprised._

"_E-_Espio_?"_

_Shocked to have heard the familiar voice, Espio's arms fell to the pavement as he stared up into a pair of violet eyes. "_Knuckles_?!"_

"_What the hell?!" he got up as he helped the ninja to his feet. "I knew I was being followed, so I hid in the fountain to make an ambush. But I didn't expect I'd run into you like this!"_

"_I'm equally surprised."_

"_Hang on… What _are_ you doing here anyway? the echidna narrowed his eyes as he leaned closer to the chameleon. "You were following me, weren't you?"_

"_A-absolutely not!" the chameleon answered rather hesitantly. "I honestly had no idea you were even here."_

_The guardian said nothing more to him. Instead, he watched him, which made the detective even more twitchy. He composed himself as he gave the echidna – or tried to – a small and innocent smile._

_Thankfully, it was shrugged off with a nonchalant "If you say so…" The chameleon sighed inwardly, silently giving his thanks. "By the way, have you happened to see Shadow or Eggman recently?"_

"_I haven't. Why do you ask?"_

_Tensing and clenching his fists, Knuckles growled "I'm almost positive one of them has the Master Emerald." Looking away, the chameleon silently chuckled to himself, and turned his back completely towards the enraged echidna. He stomped his foot and barked at him. "Hey! What gives?!"_

_He glanced back at him briefly, a small smirk seizing his lips. "Oh, nothing. I'm sorry, Knuckles, but I'm uninterested. I have more important matters to attend to. So if you don't mind…" without another word, the chameleon walked away from the pouting echidna._

"_Fine, who needs you anyway?" he turned to walk the other direction. "I'll just gather some Rings for the detector… and find something to wash this goop off…"_

* * *

"Remember what you said to me earlier? Before we went searching for the mansion?" the psychic hedgehog continued, even while the walls continued to inch towards them as each second passed. "Now I need you to heed your own words. We can't give up, Espio… Not when we're so close. I'm your strength, and I need you to be mine as well.

"We can't let Nega win… Don't give up!"

The chameleon closed his eyes, a small smile growing on his muzzle. "I know. I haven't once thought of giving up."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Get us out of this jam." he opened his eyes, a warm smile upon his lips which the hedgehog couldn't see. "Until we finish our journey, I'm still your strength."

After another moment of silence, Silver spoke up, and Espio could not deny noting the cordiality within his tone. "Then let's get out of here, partner."

His smile enriched with the same feelings. "Agreed. Let's get out of here." However, it faltered when he found the walls beginning to grow uncomfortably close. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself.

Until his eyes opened with an idea in mind. "Quickly, stand on your feet."

"But how? Neither of us can move."

"We'll stand together, and we'll both be supporting each other. Lean into me."

Using only their legs, and the support of the other's body, slowly but surely they made their way to their feet. Once they finally did, they each desperately scanned the room – once again – to find something to cut them loose from the sturdy rope.

"Maybe we'll find a hidden passage somewhere in the room…" the chameleon murmured as he looked to the unmoving walls. "…or a trapdoor…"

As the detective began to carefully lead them towards the back – or assuming so – of the room, Silver said aloud "I'm almost positive we were close to discovering the room… That's why Nega trapped us."

"But how? I don't remember encountering him anywhere within the mansion."

"He's been following us the entire time, Espio. Do you know of anyone else who could have purposely trapped us in here?" Before anything more could have been said, the floor beneath them suddenly parted, and the pair fell into a world of pitch-black.

* * *

**Kudos to you if you understood the reference I made with the coin. ****Now if you excuse me... sleep awaits.**


	6. Final Intervention

**At last, another chapter for this story done. On the second to last chapter we finally get to see some real action. This has been in the works since January, with a great amount of process that I was almost confident I would have it up by at least the beginning of February. Man time flies...**

**The last chapter gave me more difficulty, reasons as to why I already explained. **

**Anyway; have at it, enjoy, R&amp;R - all that good stuff.**

* * *

Theme 6: Final Intervention

His eyes struggled to open, with a hazy view of the auburn sky above him. Heavy and rugged breaths took place, enduring the various cuts and wounds all over his body. Faintly, he heard robotic footsteps heading his way, forcing him to pull himself upright to continue the battle. And he did so, but with much difficulty.

It stood before him. Jet black metal with its hollow eyes outlined in yellow. It merely stood there, watching him, a bleak expression resting upon his form. He was able to do _some_ damage – at least – as the machine had – although hardly visible – scratches all over its surface. The chameleon positioned into another stance, awaiting for his rival to attack.

It lashed at him, and the detective barely managed to dodge its metallic claws. Rising from the sidestep, Espio, as swiftly as he could, made a roundhouse kick, only for the robot to promptly catch his foot. Before Espio could retaliate he was flung back a few distances, however he was able to land on his feet, crouching on one knee as he skidded backwards. He rose again, but not in time to defend himself from a jab to the stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of him. He grabbed the metallic wrist of the Metal Sonic counterfeit with both hands, however the robot used this to its advantage and simply raised its arm, taking the chameleon with it.

Espio was violently tossed across the field, rolling onto his stomach after a rough landing. He heard the robot approach and meagerly looked up to face it… only to be greeted with dirt in his eyes. After kicking the dirt in its opponent's eyes, the metal foot struck his chest, commencing a grunt from the chameleon as he cringed and curled slightly.

"ESPIO!" came a shriek above him. He looked up, where he saw a flash of turquoise tear through the dark sky. Even the robot took a moment to glance up at the clouds.

In the sky with the hedgehog was the Ifrit, which was hot on his tail. He twisted and turned as he shot through the skies, making loops as if to try and throw off the beast. "Don't give up!" he called from above, right before he shot past them, the Ifrit not far behind.

While Espio was handling Eggman Nega's Metal Sonic copy, Silver took on the Ifrit, which – to their surprise – was a large beast with the features of a dragon, its tail and wings made of flames. Since for the most part he was out of the monster's grasp, it spat fire at him, which Silver smoothly waved around. The hedgehog himself was a bit worse for wear, but not nearly as bashed up as his struggling partner.

As he flew through the air, Silver had turned onto his back to see the Ifrit trailing behind him. He remained in that position as he simply watched it chase after him, before turning his head to see what was to come up ahead. There was Eggman Nega in his round contraption, who – upon seeing Silver drawing closer – shot fourth away from him. Baring his teeth, Silver turned over to his original position and gave full chase.

Eggman Nega watched him, and the Ifrit within the back. He fired several missiles at the hedgehog, hoping to slow him down. But the attempt ended in vain when the missiles were all caught within the force field surrounding the hedgehog. Growling in frustration, Eggman Nega slammed his fist onto one of the buttons, having two sets of mechanical arms appear on the vehicle. Two beneath that are a pair of grappling claws, and two on top with razor-sharp blades. Each arm came after him, the grabbing claws launching forth – one after the other – to either grab the silvery pest or at last throw him off, while the spinning blades swooped in to go for the blow. Silver swayed through the barrage of attacks Eggman Nega threw at him, which infuriated the scientist even more. Finally, his patience wearing thin, Nega pushed the controls forth, having all four arms reach for the hedgehog at once, with each end surrounding him.

Silver repeatedly twisted and turned to dodge each of the arms, but it became more difficult as they each came from different angles, one behind the other with much frequency. Finally, they all came at him at once, leaving only a small gap between them as they reached for him. Silver – as fast as he could – dove through the gap, nearly getting caught by each hand. Luckily, he was only left a small cut on his left cheek, one of which he hardly felt.

However, most of the missiles that were caught in his aura had exploded, which was – miraculously – enough to stun the mobile, as it shook violently in place. Eggman Nega slammed on the controls, exclaiming a barrage of violent obscenities. Silver used this to his advantage, and took the time to aim properly at the inbound fire beast. From what he noted, it's weak spot was its head, where it seemed to have some sort of frail layers of rock.

And that was exactly where he made his shot.

The Ifrit made a loud cry as it began to fall from the sky rather slowly. When it made impact with the ground, however, a nearby ruined building collapsed upon it, burying the beast within a pile of rubble. With a satisfied grin, Silver began to make his may back towards land, tearing through the sky at high speeds, and away from a just now recovered – and furious, Eggman Nega.

Expelling blood from a rough cough, Espio rose again, taking another defensive stance – however meager it seemed. Metal Sonic 3.0 had its hands changed into blades, the chameleon withdrew a katana and took his stance. The robot continued its approach, stepping towards the ninja detective ever so slowly, as he only stood and waited for his opponent to strike first.

Finally Metal Sonic shot at him – or tried to fly past him – as it swung one of its blades. Holding the blade upright, and not a moment too late, Espio's blade halted the hungry steel that merely grazed past its metallic body. Swiftly on its heel, the robot turned around to come at him again, this time spinning with its arms extended like a cyclone of steel. He angled his blade in a diagonal position to fend against the furious blades, often shifting the sword between a horizontal or vertical position. Once the fury of attacks came to an end, the robot's blade merely pushed against the chameleon's sword.

The moment they remained in that position, Espio poured all of his remaining strength against the Metal Sonic copy, which wasn't proving to be very effective – as the robot hadn't moved an inch. He felt his strength would soon begin to leave him, but his fortitude had yet to wear thin, and with all his might, he pushed himself at his hardest. With the last of his strength, he had to keep up as much defense as possible, and not let the metal monstrosity prevail. The two of them came far too long to let it all end here. If there wasn't enough strength to fight back, then it should go towards putting up the best protection – anything to buy him a little time – to last longer.

A split second later he felt something tear across his back, and a warm substance streaming from its wake. A sharp pain aroused from the spot, amber eyes widened vastly as tan lips parted with a wordless cry. His opponent eased its weapon away from him before he sunk to one knee, dropping his katana once he did so. Before he could fall forward, he was grabbed by the shoulder and held upright by the robot.

Cold steel rested against his neck, and a soft gasp passed his lips.

"_NOOOOO_!"

Something turquoise shot past him, taking the robot with it, and leaving Espio to fall on the ground.

Silver stood before him, glaring down the robot that was knocked to the ground. He turned his head towards the chameleon. "Come on, Espio! Get up!" Soon after, the sound of rockets zipping through the sky reached his ears. He shot up into the air, swiping the chameleon from the ground to take with him, barely avoiding greeting with a large explosion.

"_You blasted rodent_! Just wait until I get my hands on you…" Eggman Nega screamed from a distance, slamming his fists on his controls furiously.

Gritting his teeth, his fangs clearly visible, Silver stared ahead towards a small dot that grew rapidly as it headed straight for him at full speed. He waited, with the chameleon in his arms, as the corpulent scientist slowly came to a stop some ways in front of them. The hedgehog's vicious snarl turned into a mocking grin as he came to realize something. The grey-haired man furrowed, seeing as confusion had mixed with his frustration. In his arms, the chameleon also seemed to have appeared perplexed as he gazed at him curiously.

Finally, the hedgehog spoke his mind. "You just did something unwise. Now you have scrap metal."

In turn, the scientist's lips curved into a wicked grin. "If that's what you think…"

His own baffled expression upon his muzzle, Silver gazed beneath him, along with Espio, only to see the large cloud of smoke from the explosion evaporating within the air… but nothing in its wake. The rotund man's grin only grew as the hedgehog seemed to have grown more confused as he couldn't find the robot in question. Espio's eyes narrowed at Eggman Nega's expression, a sinking feeling deep within him that the scientist had another trick up his sleeve.

Just when a loud gasp came from Silver, he tore his gaze from the scientist towards the hedgehog's pale muzzle. Amber eyes lit up with shock as his mouth hung opened with a soundless scream. As the chameleon's sight traveled behind the hedgehog, he nearly released a scream of his own…

There was Metal Sonic 3.0, that had sawed deeply into the hedgehog's back. Frozen in utter horror, the ninja detective watched his silvery companion's eyelids lower halfway as he slowly fell from the sky. His cyan aura dimmed substantially as he was slipping into insentience. Although his grip on the chameleon loosened only slight, he hadn't dropped him, even though his light drifting became a freefall towards the ground. The one thing the reptile did – the only thing he could do – was tighten his arms around the fallen hedgehog.

He shut his eyes tightly. _Don't give up, Silver… Hang in there…_

It was then when their fall suddenly came to a stop. He would have thought his prayers had been answered, had they not landed roughly on something… tough. Indubitably, he believed they hit the ground, but only his eyes were to prove him wrong…

They were still airborne, and now gliding amongst the clouds. Silver still laid unconscious in his arms, even as the chameleon groggily sat up to take a better look at their surroundings. On each side he saw the wings of flame rise and fall at a synchronized and steady pace. Upon hearing a loud cry, he felt a sharp gaze from above resting on him. Somehow, and perhaps miraculously, they landed atop the Ifrit's back.

Metal Sonic 3.0 landed far towards his right – where the Ifrit's long magmatic tail was seen swaying in the air. Ravenous blades at the ready with their owner in a deadly stance. Lifeless eyes rested on the chameleon, almost as if it simply proclaimed the end of their journey, and their life. To his left, above him, he stared into the gleam of the Ifrit's entirely white – although small – eyes. From afar, Eggman Nega watched intently, very pleased with the outcome by far – confirmed by his wicked grin. After gently placing Sliver down onto his back, Espio pulled himself to his feet, driven with will and rage. The motivation to maintain the progress they've made to this very moment, to see the world no longer jeopardized by a monstrous miscreant… and his beast, and… to protect Silver, was more than enough to act as his stamina.

As if he could no longer feel his wounds he got into position, his arched blade ready for the next battle to come.

The robot charged at him, as well as he lunged at the machine. Both adversaries swung at the same time as the met in the middle. Espio remained in his pose, only slightly sliding past the perilous robot.

Behind him a metallic arm soared in the air, only for it to fall towards the ground below.

He turned to his opponent very slowly, finding a one-armed robot standing before him, with only the shoulder still intact. The chameleon smirked, which no less faltered in a matter of seconds as he watched the robot's arm renew from its shoulder socket.

The nearby cackling came from the grey-haired scientist. "I say he's full of surprises, isn't he?"

Espio gazed up at the Ifrit to find it in the middle of a deep inhale. The air grew oppressively hot – hotter than it already was – as its mouth was beginning to illuminate a bright fiery orange. Expelling a sharp gasp Espio hurried over towards Silver, and hovered over him as the Ifrit released a long blast of fire. He lifted his head, and watched as the flames traveled far to the back. For moment Espio found himself relieved to be out of its path, but – just as he half expected – Metal Sonic 3.0 walked directly through the flames… unharmed.

He growled, quickly searching through his thoughts for a strategy as it slowly approached the two companions. Finally he stood, with his blade in hand, as he waited for the monstrosity to attack. At last it jumped at him, and at the very last moment, Espio swung the blade high…

_CLING…_

A thick air of silence hung over them, apart from the nearby crackling from the left over flames. Both opponents were frozen in attacking positions, each with their blades held over the other's head. From behind, ivory eyelids fluttered opened, for the hazy view of golden eyes to witness the scene before him. After a moment of coming to, a sharp inhale was made as he came to realization.

Shock and fear nearly seized his voice. "E-Espio…"

One arm lowered its weapon, before the owner dropped to his knees. After what felt like eternity, the body finally collapsed forward, with something rolling towards the hedgehog.

A head…

…the robot's head…

The hedgehog remained frozen in place as he stared into the black void where its eyes would have been. He stared up at the chameleon who had his sword in place keeping him upright. His breaths were jagged, and he looked as if he was ready to collapse. Silver struggled to stand, but eventually made it over to the chameleon.

As soon as Espio lifted his head, amber eyes met once more. Before any words could pass Silver's lips the reptilian ninja merely cut him off, his eyes gazing towards something above. "It's still not over…"

Silver followed his gaze into the Ifrit's hollow eyes. His ears – just then – picked up the sound of a hovercraft zipping by. Eggman Nega was flying beside them, giving them a look of pure anger and hatred as he growled through clenched teeth and a tightened fist resting beside the controls. The hedgehog stared at him dead in the eyes. His mien although much calmer, the look in his eyes expressed the same type of feelings.

If only looks could kill…

"The head is it's weak spot." he uttered suddenly, before taking one moment to glance at the chameleon's sword. "…That should do it."

Espio's gaze tore from the monster to his companion. With his back towards him, he was able to see the deep gash across his back.

He still bled… "But what about you?"

"I will deal with Eggman Nega." As Espio began to protest Silver turned around completely, once again locking eyes with the concerned reptile. "I still have enough strength to fight, and I believe in you… I believe in us." a small smile graced his crimson-stained muzzle. "We may have been outnumbered at first, but we certainly weren't outmatched. Even though we're both heavily injured and the numbers are even – _if _you want to call it that – we still aren't outmatched."

With a gloved hand he motioned towards the fuming scientist. "As of now, he's just a joke. The real battle is with the Ifrit, which I know _in my heart_ we can surmount." his lips curved into a knowing smile. "We have this in the bag."

As his eyes still remained in his, Espio took note of something he saw long ago… before he and Silver actually teamed up. There was the spark of fortitude he remembered, still as strong as ever. However his eyes were no longer pleading him, but more so seeking to spark reassurance within him. He knew they could do it, and he needed Espio to feel the same way.

Almost instantly was he put at ease. Those eyes… they were always like some sort of enchanting charm. Whatever it is about them that makes them so… _alluring_… he couldn't tell. At least, not as of now.

But before anything else could be said or done, Silver shoved him aside and quickly stepped in front of him. Espio nearly fell as he stumbled back, puzzled as to what just happened and why, however caught himself as he saw just what it was Silver was doing. A shrine of turquoise surrounded him as his hand extended in front of him. He leaned slightly to the side to see whatever it was he caught – and found a barrage of missiles caught in his aura. Not too far ahead Eggman Nega was slamming his fists against his hovercraft as he swore loudly and viciously.

"You should know better, Eggman Nega." Silver spoke, a poisonous glare directed at him, especially as he spat his name. Looking back at Espio he shouted, "Now, Espio! Hurry!"

With a nod, Espio's attention returned to the Ifrit, which fired another blast of fire at him. He rolled forward, just barely dodging the flames behind him. The Ifrit, seeing as his breathing fire once again didn't work, immediately lunged its head at him with its mouth wide opened – apparently going to swallow the chameleon. As it came at him, Espio leaped high into the air. The Ifrit's gaze followed him and fired a fire ball at the soaring ninja, which he successfully dodged with a flip.

He landed atop the Ifrit's head, and raised his sword with its point facing downward…

_BOOM…_

The explosion from a missile that landed on the underside of the Ifrit's neck just behind him knocked him off the monster's head.

"_NO_!" Eggman Nega slammed the controls, growling furiously. "I missed him!" But upon no longer seeing the chameleon atop the Ifrit's head he was put slightly at ease… until he noted the Ifrit feverishly shaking its head. He began to worry that he damaged his own creation, that is, until he saw something purple hanging off one of its horns.

He was still on the Ifrit…

"Wait, Eggman Nega… You forgot something."

"Like wha—_H-HUH_?"

Silver floated before him with all of the missiles around him, each pointing directly at Eggman Nega. A crooked smile was apparent on his muzzle. "About time you get what was coming to you."

He quickly tried to recover from his shock, although failed seeing as he nearly tripped on his words with sweat streaming from his forehead. "N-now Silver, let's not get so hasty… Why don't we talk and settle this like sophisticated gentlemen, hm?"

"Yet, this is coming from the guy who started this whole mess in the first place… How do you miss the irony in that?" A more serious mien took hold of his muzzle. "Besides, I think we're far passed civilized manners at this point." He curved his body, before extending his arms and legs as he released all of the missiles at once. They each soared in different directions, and Eggman Nega cowered in his seat. However, he felt nothing make contact with his mobile, and began to search frantically for the missiles.

Behind him they flew off towards the distance, arousing a toothy smirk from the scientist.

Silver's smile, however, grew even wider. "Wait for it…"

Each of the missiles made a U turn and began to head straight for the grey-haired scientist at high speeds, much to his dismay. With an evil grin across his muzzle, the hedgehog waved at the scientist as he started to drift away. "Goodbye, Eggman Nega." He sped off, a chuckle escaping him as he tore through the skies.

"W-_wait_! Silver, _come back_!" But before he knew it, all of the missiles that were fired collided to his air mobile all at once. All that there was of the rotund scientist was an outsized and brilliant fiery explosion.

"_NOOOOOOO_!"

As Eggman Nega's scream was heard across the sky, Espio, clinging onto the Ifrit's arched horn as it tore through the air as it spun like a drill, was – both metaphorically and physically speaking – clinging onto dear life. By the time it stopped spinning raucously it was swinging it's head side to side. Espio had his arms wrapped around the monster's horn and, with his free hand, reached into his glove to pull out a kunai. He waited for the right moment to plunge it into the side of the Ifrit's neck.

It released another loud cry and held its head still, meanwhile Espio wasted no time in grabbing hold of the inserted kunai and releasing the Ifrit's horn with the arm that still had his katana. Swiftly, he swung his body up back atop the Ifrit's neck and quickly – yet carefully – balanced his way to the top of its head.

He held the blade high, point down, before jabbing the sword beneath him, deep within the Ifrit's "skull".

A long high-pitched shriek of agony came from the Ifrit as it whirled about irrepressibly, thus knocking Espio off once again, and the chameleon found himself freefalling from the sky. The Ifrit had begun to do as such itself as it did so in the far distance, its wings and tail curving – appearing to have gone limp – as it was falling towards its own doom. Upon watching the fiery beast's fall, his own fall had been suddenly interrupted as he fell into a pair of cyan-lit arms – much to his apparent surprise.

Inwardly he was debating if it was truly a pleasant surprise…

Silver brought them back onto the ground, with Eggman Nega crushed under his destroyed mobile and debris of a ruined building. Not far ahead was the portal, which had shrunken noticeably since before the battle. It looked as if it could close at any moment.

"Come on, let's hurry and get out of here!" exclaimed the hedgehog, grabbing the chameleon by the wrist as he was about to take off…

"_WAIT_! Don't leave me here like this!" the pair froze in place upon hearing the scientist's shriek. They turned around to fully face him, slowly but surely, and began to approach him. The rotund scientist's smile perked as he saw the two walking his direction. Their muzzles were stoned, though Nega didn't seem to pay any mind to that.

"Yes, that's it. My legs are caught beneath all this crap and I can't move. Help me out of here."

"Oh, we will." the chameleon spoke darkly, bringing the tip of his katana to rest against the scientist's large nose. "Because you're going straight to hell."

Eggman Nega's smile faltered almost immediately.

Silver extended his arm in front of his companion, having him move back. "Now Espio, let's not get so impulsive… Besides, I think we should help him."

"_What_?" Both the chameleon and scientist gaped at once. The astonishment was heavy in the man's tone as he spoke again. "You… you really think so?"

Espio lowered his weapon, his gaze completely focused on Silver. "_Seriously_?"

"He's right. We can't just leave him here like this…" the detective blinked in disbelief, as the scientist seemed surprised – although delighted as well – as to what he had just heard. Glowing in turquoise once more, Silver raised both of his hands and reeled back as if he was pulling something towards him.

The rubble on top of Eggman Nega hadn't come off…

However, a boulder dropped atop of the aircraft, thus crushing the machine completely and adding more weight to the rubble atop the scientist.

Eggman Nega let out a painful moan as a smile spread across Silver's muzzle. "That's better." Once again grabbing the wrist of the snorting chameleon, the pair began to race towards the closing portal. Silver used his telekinesis to fly towards the portal for a faster pace with the chameleon still in hand.

All that was heard as they blasted though the portal was the cry of Eggman Nega calling out to them.


	7. Sincere Gratitude

**Finally, we have ourselves the final chapter for this story! A big thank you to everyone who has followed this story from beginning to end, and another thank you to those who have reviewed. Man, it feels good finishing a story... heheh.**

**This doesn't quite follow the game's ending for the two. I'm rather satisfied with it, but I hope you all find it enjoyable all the same.**

**Thanks again for reading. Have at it!**

* * *

Theme 7: Sincere Gratitude

"_We… We did it…"_

"_Yes, Espio. It's finally over… The future is once again at piece. And hopefully, it will forever remain that way."_

"_I am exhausted… and it has been quite some time when I had last went on an extraordinary adventure…"_

"_Aha, so you have done some of this stuff before. That explains why you were such a pro."_

"_Heh heh… I can say the same for you."_

"_I have been on a few myself, but this was one of the toughest I've ever had, but not quite the toughest. There is one that tops this, that too was also when I had to travel to this time period. But I could have sworn that I have done something like this before that time. Or, at least, that's what it feels like."_

"_I have never traveled through time before… What a rush!"_

"_Ha ha… I'm still sorta new at this, to be honest…"_

"_Well if it weren't for you, our world would have been in ruins… and there probably wouldn't even _be_ a future."_

"_I believe I've made a similar statement…"_

"_And you probably have, but it's still nothing shy of the truth. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you… for everything…"_

"…_Espio… I…"_

…

…

…

Words from a conversation he last held lingered during his sub-consciousness. Vaguely he remembered what happened before he became insentient. The last thing he saw was another pair of golden eyes locked to his, the last thing he felt was his head upon a lap, and gentle arms that held him close. But beyond that point, he had no recollection.

Robbed of their vison, amber eyes awoke to something white above. A white sky was something he had no recollection over. He felt himself laying upon something soft, as to what would be a guess as good as any. Within the white sky he noticed a rotating object, also something he did not remember seeing – as well as something he couldn't put his finger on as to what it could be. Only when his vision finally returned to him was when he was able to recognize what that object was…

A ceiling fan.

Gingerly he pressed his hands against the soft substance beneath him, which was found covering his body. His eyes wandered to the walls, where he recognized the shade of navy they had, along with the decorations that hung from them. Upon noting the bookshelves, the dressers, and other furniture within the room, he immediately knew his whereabouts. He was back home, in his bedroom. But how was he able to get home?

Just then he shot upright in his bed, his eyes lit up as he came to recognition.

"_Espio_!" A high-pitched squeal had reached his ears, just as a pair of arms were found tightly wrapped around him, all of which had left him hardly any time to react.

His eyes met with a pair of vermilion eyes, those that had a bright spark about them. "You're okay! You're okay! Vector and I were-"

"C-Charmy! I'm still sore!" the chameleon winced as the bee's arms became tighter with each word he cried.

"Oops… Sorry!" the small hyperactive child immediately released him – which was when Espio hugged his torso, until his hands felt something sturdy around him. Apparently his wounds had already been cared for, he thought, with the bandage he found firmly wrapped around his torso.

"Vector got worried when he couldn't contact you anymore. So he went to look for you while I stayed and held the fort." the bee explained. "He found you in the forest out cold, and in bad condition. Then he brought you back here – of course – and called the doctor… And that pretty much brings us up to date." he snapped his fingers. "By the way, the doctor said no heavy labor for a month from now, and to take the meds as described… Vector has everything on his desk."

The reptile nodded. "So other than that, I haven't missed much?"

"No, not really. But while you were gone all this time, Vector was really anxious… _Oh_!" Charmy's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had just remembered something. However, it even caught the chameleon by surprise. "What about the bad guy? Did he get away?"

Espio blinked, as his hand began to caress his forehead. Upon noting the chameleon's puzzled expression, the bee's tone became one of curiosity and concern. "You know; the guy that was responsible for the Chao disappearing… Don't you remember?"

However, the dazed expression remained on the chameleon's face. The two detectives spent the moment sitting in silence.

That is, before the bee began to snap his fingers, as if he struggled to remember something. "We even learned his name, too. What was it again? Uh…" he paused. "Um… Sullivan? Wait… uh… Slim? No… Something with an S… What was it? I know it was said a few times…"

"Silver?"

"No… Wait… Yeah! Yeah, that's him!" the bee, upon excitement, shot off the bed with his little wings fluttering. His finger pointed at the chameleon he asked, "You caught him, right?!"

His eyes grew, before a small bead of sweat graced his forehead. The reptile's hand reached behind him as it rubbed anxiously behind the top of his back. "Well… I did, but…"

"WOOHOO! Mission complete! We're gonna get paid! YAY!" the young detective's airborne summersaults instantly commenced, preforming them in every corner of the room as it seemed.

With a sigh, the chameleon shook his head. "No, Charmy. What I mean is…"

"Settle down in there, Charmy! You know he's still resting!" the bedroom door was shoved open further, practically slamming against the wall. The bee's monkeyshines came to a halt as the emerald crocodile marched into the room.

"But Vector! He's awake! See?" the bee exclaimed, pointing at the chameleon. "He just said he took care of that Silver guy, too!" With his jaw agape, Vector's gaze shifted from the young boy's to the older detective within the bed.

A toothy grin immediately took place on his mien. "Of course he did! It's Espio we're talkin' about, after all." he gave the chameleon a thumbs-up. "Great work, Esp! What would we do without ya?"

Another sigh was released from the magenta detective. "Well for starters, there wouldn't be all of this unnecessary praise." Both the crocodile and the bee exchanged puzzled expressions – something the chameleon expected. However, he hadn't expected for them to burst into laughter.

Or… maybe he should have.

"Yeah yeah, Espio. I get it. You're just being modest, nothing wrong with that." chuckled the crocodile.

He exhaled yet again, but his tone remained mild. "No, Vector, you don't get it." he removed the covers off of him and draped his legs over the bed's edge, sitting completely upright. "You're wasting your breath complementing me on something I haven't done."

Both of his fellow teammates paused with their mouths ajar. While Charmy was more so of shock and confusion, the leader seemed to be mainly puzzled – although his brows furrowed as his expression slightly changed into a scowl. "Whaddaya mean by that? You found the guy, didn't you?"

"Yes… I did."

"You found evidence proving him guilty… right?"

"Well… no. Not exactly…" the bee's posture slumped, his mouth having dropped completely opened as he planted himself upon the floor. The crocodile's expression changed into a heated glare, his bared teeth were clamped together while large hands shook as they tightened into fists. Even his right eye began to twitch uncontrollably.

The chameleon dropped his gaze to his lap. "I'm sorry." Exclaiming a rough swear, the crocodile held his head as he spun around in a circle. Charmy was left frozen in silence, as if astonishment detained all of his mobility. Espio kept his gaze within his lap, his hands folded tightly atop them.

"You can't be serious…" he heard the crocodile mutter, as he felt his harsh gaze resting upon him. From the sound of his tone, he still had an ounce of hope left within him, but seemed to struggle to believe in otherwise. "You… You're fucking with me, aren't you?"

"Because he's _innocent_, Vector." Espio stated, gazing up at the crocodile. "All this time, his intentions were good."

"And what's good about kidnaping Chao, Espio?" Vector contested, ire building in this tone. "This guy clearly isn't innocent. And you know we can't turn him in if we don't have the evidence needed."

At that point Espio had already climbed out of bed. He had his arms extended as he slowly made a complete turn. "Here Vector. Here's your evidence." he said harshly, allowing the crocodile to get a good view of his bandaged wounds. "I have received theses wounds during a battle with a large fiery beast – created by an evil scientist who wanted to destroy the world… _He_ was using the Chao to create that thing. Silver was _only_ collecting Chao to keep them from the hands of Eggman Nega – in attempt to prevent an everlasting disaster." Vector only released a loud and crazy laugh, a response Espio didn't expect to receive. But the crocodile wasn't amused with his partner's tale, as clearly shown in his tone. He, in fact, seemed like he was growing annoyed.

"What? Now you're acting as this guy's defense attorney? Or, did you forget that you're a _detective_ trying to _prove_ him _guilty_?"

"And maybe I did, Vector," the chameleon retorted. "_after_ I saw with my own eyes what his _true_ intentions were, something you _did not_ see for yourself because _you weren't even there_."

"And how the hell does that help us, Espio? Have I already told you that I already spent the advanced payment on the rent?"

"So… we're _not_ getting paid?" the young bee asked, his voice filled with disappointment.

"Even worst, we'll probably get sued – hence tainting the name of the agency _even further_!" at the chameleon, the crocodile harshly snapped, "Is that what you want, Espio? Regardless of how much you think this team is a flop as it is, anyway."

"No, of course not. And you're right, we're not perfect. But _who_ is? It's also one of the many reason as to why we're like a family. You yourself know this, Vector, so don't say that I think any less of either of you." As he stared into the eyes of the crocodile, he firmly stated, "And I have _no interest_ in what others may think… Originally, I thought you had the same mind."

"It's not that I care what other people think, even though I still think something like that is bad for business…" the Chaotix leader caught himself, clearing his through and shaking off whatever inappropriate feelings that were about to surface. "But you know what… that's a heart-to-heart for another time, as it's completely irrelevant towards the scenario at hand." With a sigh, the crocodile dropped onto the nearby computer chair. "I just wanna know what we're gonna do about this Silver guy."

"You don't have to do anything…" All three detectives had their attention pulled towards the nearby opened window, where only the head of a white hedgehog was in full view.

A hedgehog of which Espio recognized immediately, his standing quills and enthralling golden eyes are features he had yet seen on another hedgehog.

The bee shot up from the ground, his wings furiously flapping as his stinger lengthened. "It's him! It's the Chao stealer!"

Vector had already jumped to his feet and got into a fighting stance with his hands balled into fist. "If you think you can come in here and attack us, you got another thing coming… As a matter of fact, I like to see you try and make it through the window."

"No, no! I just wanted to attest my innocence!" the hedgehog exclaimed whilst waving his hands. "I can do that by justifying Espio's story."

"Oh yeah?" the Chaotix leader challenged, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, go on! If you're really innocent, now's the time to prove it!" Charmy mimicked the crocodile's posture as he still remained in midair. But when the hedgehog proceeded to climb through the window, both detectives resumed their defensive stances. Vector barked another warning. "Move another inch and you're gonna wish you never bothered showing up!"

"No, _don't_!" Espio cried, jumping before his fellow teammates. "Just let him show you…"

"Espio, move." Vector austerely ordered.

"_No_. I trust him."

"Well I don't, now _move_."

"He has my trust." repeated the chameleon in a firm tone. "He deserves the chance to prove himself – as you undoubtedly see. Grant him that." At that time, however, Silver had already climbed into the room – which the chameleon knew Vector saw. The crocodile's eyes studied the hedgehog for the longest, with his jaw slightly agape. Charmy also appeared to be flabbergasted, once again landing back onto the ground. Espio's gaze also rested upon the hedgehog, amber eyes filled with sorrow as they fell upon the wounds that were left untreated.

Silver turned to show them his back, where there was the deep crimson gash that was left by Eggman Nega's facsimile of Metal Sonic.

"His wound's still open…" the crocodile said, nearly inaudible.

As he turned completely around, they noticed the different spots of his fur that were stained with dried blood while small cuts on his muzzle tainted his peach skin. In his eyes he looked tired, and the chameleon couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"I have received minor injuries throughout our adventure." the hedgehog explained, his voice beginning to grow weary. "But the wounds that you see are greater and more severe came from our tussle with the beast – created by Eggman Nega with the Chao _he_ collected – known as the Ifrit. The Ifrit gained its power by feeding off of Chao, hence Nega's need and capacity of the Chao in the first place. _He_ is the reason for my agency here."

Golden eyes connected with the chameleon's, accompanied with a warm smile. "And Espio is the reason for my success."

"Silver…" Espio reached for his silvery companion, which he allowed – and Vector didn't seem to make any objections as he approached the hedgehog.

Silver allowed the gentle gloved hands to hold him by his shoulders, and merely gave a reassuring smile to the owner of the soft amber eyes that locked with his. Within a moment of silence – of which Charmy began to shift uncomfortably – the hedgehog found himself lost within those charming pair of eyes that did indeed have some tenderness within. Those same pair of eyes had him melting inside.

_Oh Espio…_ he nearly murmured – or would have, had he not caught himself. "I'm okay."

"How long have you wandered like that?" the chameleon asked, removing his hands to better examine the hedgehog. "Silver, this is unacceptable."

"You were worst-off than me." he chuckled.

"But my injuries were remedied, yours were never treated."

"Espio, I'm…" his words trailed off when the chameleon took him by the arm and began guiding him towards the bed.

"I have proficiency in medicine. The least I can do is sew the wound on your back." he quickly remade the covers before forcing the hedgehog to sit onto his bed. "Don't move. My medical kit is around here somewhere…" the last sentence was mused aloud as he made his way towards the closet.

Silver found himself in defeat, especially with the aid of the excruciating sensation on his back. "Okay. But afterwards, I really must get going."

"But dontchya need to rest for a bit?" Vector, after swimming out of his sea of thought, asked – with the tone of his voice having changed to one of concern. "You look really sleepy."

"I'll get plenty of rest when I return home." Silver answered warily. "It's only proper. I wouldn't want to be a burden on you, first of all…"

"Rubbish." the emerald croc interjected. "It's the least we can do… or the least _I_ can do, that is."

"An unnecessary gesture, but I appreciate it nonetheless." the hedgehog smiled. "I only came here to check on Espio, and to tell him 'thank you'."

Espio had finally finished digging through the closet as he came out with the aforementioned medicine kit, but had stopped midway towards the bed upon listening to his silvery companion's words. The short conversation between Silver and his boss had ended while Charmy remained mute as he hovered in the air, leaving the room in complete silence – save the buzzing coming from the bee's wings.

He continued making his way towards his bed, setting the kit down at the end. For a long time – or as it seemed – he stood there, as if deep within thought, amber eyes refusing to leave the medical kit. Finally, although suddenly, he was able to find his voice again. It was quiet, and perhaps detached, but it was there.

And with it, he asked, "Will the two of you leave us privacy?"

The young bee's gaze rested on Vector, who gave an understanding nod as an immediate reply. "Will do. C'mon Charms, how about we order a pizza for dinner?"

"OKAY!" the young one chirped in excitement, before zipping out of the room at full speed.

"But first, I better contact our client…" he murmured, scratching his head. On his way out of the room, the crocodile had gently closed the door, officially leaving the remaining two alone.

Silver watched as Espio opened the kit and pulled out all the necessities to properly clean the wound. He removed the wrap from an alcoholic wipe. "Before I stitch the wound I have to clean it, and it may sting a little." he held out his free hand, a small smile crossing his muzzle. "This is just something to help with that."

With his own smile, the hedgehog took his hand within his own, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Espio… for everything."

The detective firmly squeezed his companion's hand in response. "It was my pleasure, Silver."

* * *

_**EDIT:** I forgot to mention about the reference to Sonic 06 at the beginning of the chapter (it's a rather weak one, I now notice, so I'll explain): _

_Silver believes he's traveled through time before the events of Sonic Rivals took place, but struggles to remember the events of Sonic 06, because - technically - it didn't happen. (At the end of the game, Elise blows out the flame - which was Solaris - hence destroying Solaris for good and erasing all of the events that took place during the adventure. And therefore; Sonic and Elise's encounter never happened, and Sonic and co. never crossed paths with Silver. That would explain why no one knew who Silver was - and vice versa - during the first Sonic Rivals. This leads me to believe that the Sonic Rivals Series is in fact cannon.)_

_How did Sonic 06 end up in Generations? At the end of the game - after time reversed - Sonic travels back to Soleanna to enjoy watching the festival, supposedly hinting that he remembers the adventure (or at least, that's what I read on the Sonic Wiki). I still find that a little strange, but I won't go too far into it._

_Once again: if you've made it this far, you have my thanks. R&amp;R_


End file.
